Oct 28 rally a warm-up match: Rashid

Rawalpindi-President Awami Muslim League, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed has said that he along with PTI Chairman Imran Khan will hold a mammoth public gathering on October 28 and will also invite Senator Aitzaz Ahsan, Sardar Latif Khosa and leaders of religious organisations to participate in the public meeting.

He said a huge rally would also be taken out in the city. He declared the public gathering as warm-up match against the ruling Sharifs. He said PTI, AML and other political parties would lock down Islamabad on November 2, 2016.

Rashid said the local leaders of AML and PTI have started door to door campaigns to woo public support to make November 2 Islamabad lockdown a success.

He informed that he would hold another meeting on October 30 to give final touch to the preparations being made for Islamabad lockdown. He said Pakistan Awami Tehrik Chief Dr Tahir ul Qadri was like a brother to him and an important announcement regarding Qadri’s participation in rally would be made tomorrow (Tuesday).

He said all the true and patriot Pakistanis have open invitation to join PTI and AML sit-down to save Pakistan from gang of dacoits and robbers.

Amir Kiyani, the PTI leader, said Sheikh Rashid is a close aide of Imran Khan and PTI would fully participate in October 28 public gathering in Lal Haveli.

On the other hand, sources disclosed to The Nation that city district government and police are all set to sabotage Sheikh’s public gathering on October 28. They said police could also launch massive crackdown to arrest the key leaders of PTI and AML including Sheikh Rashid Ahmed to bar them from locking down the federal capital. In this regard, secret meetings of PML-N local leaders, high-ups of CDGR and police were also held separately to arrest the leadership of PTI and AML.

However, Regional Police Officer (RPO) Wisal Fakhar Sultan Raja, during an informal chat with The Nation denied holding of any such meeting. He also refused to comment when this correspondent asked if the government has ordered police to nab PTI and AML leaders.